Rotary engine.



E. F. OHAVER.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION man JUNE 9. 1915.

1,176,481. Patented Mar.21, 1916.

WITNESSES INVENTOI? j% famrdfidfiauer A TTOR/VEYS "m5 COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60., WASHINGTON, D. C.

t a rotary engine having comparativelyfew.

EDWARD FRANCIS OHAVER, Q CARLISLE, INDIANA.

RoTARY ENGINE.

. a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Carlisle, in the county of Sullivan and State of Indiana, have invented a new and Improved Rotary Engine,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. My invention relates to rotary engines suitable for operation .by aid of explosive mixtures orv by pressure of a steadily flowing elastic medium, such as compressed air.

More particularly stated, I seekto produce parts-and so arranged. that the movement of the rotary piston causes the latter to directly engage, and operate step by step, a single revoluble member which performs many of the functions usually performed by more complicated mechanism for applying power to the piston.

Reference isflmade to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which like letters indicate like parts in all the views. 7

Figure 1 is a side view partly in elevation and partly in section showing my improved rotary engine; Fig. 2 is a section substantially onthe line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 3 is a detail showing in fragmentary elevation the means provided for stopping certain revoluble parts in exact predetermined positions.

The casing '-is. shown at 3 and has generally theapproximate form of a disk. Extending axially through the casing and revoluble relatively to the same is a shaft 5. Carried by this shaft and locatedadjacent one end thereof is acam ring 6 carrying a cam7. Engaging this cam ring is a. roller 8 which is carried by a fork 9, the latter being mounted upon oneend of a thrust rod 10. This thrust rod is mounted in bearings 11 and 12 adapted to slide relatively thereto in the general direction of its length. Mounted rigidly upon the thrust rod 10is a collar 13. Engaging this collar is a combination spring 14 which also engages the adjacent bearing '12. The tendency of this spring is to force the thrust rod 10 against thecam ring 6 and cam 7.

A lever 16 is connected with the thrust rod 10 by a pivot pin 15 and is also con- 7 nected with a stationary arm 17 by a pivot pin 17. A valve stem 18 is connected with the lever 16 by a pin 19. This valve stem Patented Mar. 21, 191-6.

Application filed June 9, 1915. Serial No. 33,072.

carries a valve 20 and this valve normally closes an opening 21, this opening being essentially a passage in a pocket 22 of the casing, as indicated in Fig. 2. The valve 20 is contained within a valve chamber 23. A spiral spring 24 is housed within this valve chamber and engages the valve 20 and also a closure plug 25 through which the valve stem 18 extends. A spark plug 26 is fitted into the wall of the pocket 22 and is used for igniting the explosive mixture in instances where the same is employed. An inlet pipe is shown at 28 and is connected by aid of a fitting 27 with the adjacent portion of the casing.

A housing 29 having a general arcuate form is carried by the casing 3. Revolubly mounted within this housing is a hub 30 carrying a number of vanes 31, in this instance four, the vanes being integral with the hub which is mounted upon a shaft 32. The housing. 29 is provided with a sleeve 33 extending radially outward and mounted within this sleeve is a pawl 34 which extends a slight distance inward toward the shaft 32,as may be understood from Fig. 1. The pawl 34 carries a pin 35 which is rigid relatively to it. A spiral spring 36 encircles the pin 35 and engages the pawl 34. A needle 37 carried by a screw plug 38 has a sub-. stantially cylindrical form and fits loosely over the pin 35. The pawl 34 is normally pressed to its limit at the left according to Fig. 1 by the spring 36, but by compression of this spring the pawl may be moved slightly to the right. lVhen any one of the vanes 31 is moved in a clockwise direction so as to engage the pawl 34 the pawl is forced to the right, this compressing the spring 36. For this purpose the pawl 34 is slightly beveled, as will be understood from this figure. The exhaust pipe is shown at 39 and communicates with the casing 3 by aid of a passage 40.

is of acute form, this poetics t ifig adapt ed to fit airtight against the adjacent inner The operation of my device is as follows;

The parts being assembled and arrangedas described, a supply of elastic medium is directed through the passage 20 and into the casing at a point between the abutment li and between two of the vanes 30, as indicatcd in Fig.1.. If the medium thus introduced be an explosive mixture it is ignited by aid of the spark plug 26. If it bea non explosive medium, such as compressed air,

the spark plug is not used. The valve 20 is tripped periodically by movements of the cam 7, thrust rod 10 and lever 16, so, as to admit the motive fluid. Each time the abutment 44 comes around it engages the adjacent vane .31 and thrusts the hub carry-' ing all of the vanes to a distance representing 'one quarter of the revolution. The

momentum given these revoluble parts tends'to carry them around a little farther than they would be moved by piston motion but the stop wheel 46 does not move but one quarter of a revolution owing to the action of the pawl 48 which clicks into the next successive notch from the one from which it has just been released. Thus the vanes 30 move step by step one quarter of arevolution at each step and then become fixed. The pressure of the motive fluid against the abutment 44 causes the piston to" turn, and in each instance, when the abutment 1% passes the passage 40, a discharge takes .place through the exhaust pipe 39.

What I claim is: V

1. In a rotary engine, the combination of acasing, a revoluble piston, an abutment carried thereby, and extending outwardly at an angle therefrom, a revoluble member to be engaged by said piston and moved step by step .by direct pressure thereof, a pawl for preventing retrogressicn of said revoluble membrane stop device 1 sfaid ievoluble member and means for supplying an elasticmedium into said easingat apoint between said reveliible member and said abutment. g p

2. A rotary engine, comprising a casing,

s revoluble piston mounted therein, an abut- 'ment carried by said piston'and eiitending in a plane-tangential to a circle of smaller diameter than said piston,a revoluble member provlded wlth vanes each adaptedto extendpartially into the path oftravel of said abutment so that said abutment engages said vanes in succession and moves themstep by step by-its direct pressure against them, a" pawl normallyextending partially into the path of rotation offsaid vanes for engaging each vane 1n succession and preventing backward. rotatloni of. said revolublemember, and mechanism for (11 recting an-:.elastic fluidmedium into-"said; casing at a point between one of saidivanes 3. 'A rotary engine, comprising a. casing,-

and said abutment;

a revoluble piston mounted thereim aniabufl ment carried by said pistonyand (extend-in l at an angle therefrom ahousing mounts uponsaid casing and having a igenra-l I an cuate form, a revolublelmember' mou-ntedwithm said housing and provided with av if;

plurality of vanes, a pa wl carriedrby'said housing and normally extending intothe path of travel of each "ofsaid vanes for the purpose of being engaged by said vanes and thus preventing backward rotation of said revoluble member, a stop Wheelcarried by the shaft of the revoluble memher and provided with notchesya 'sprin g' pawl adapted to successively engage-said notches as the stop wheel is rotated,'a valve I for admitting an elastic mediumdntoTsaidf j casing at a point between one ofsaid vanes and said abutment; and* cam V mechanism connected w th said valve same perlodieallyn; 7

In testimony. whereof -I have signedkinyfor actuating th t. I

name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. f r,

EDWARD FRANCIS QHAVER: Witnesses:

ALBERT S. /VIGGS, 1. BAILEY McConNELL, Jr.-

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing. the commissiner -01 Patents;

-Washington, D. 0; 

